Thread: Breaking News:Allmendinger Failed Drug Test

Originally Posted by heliocastroneves#3

a race car driver shouldn't use drugs at all...

That statement I agree with, but with the society we live in today, there could be any set of grubby hands that takes the wrong stuff. I hope that Test B will provide proof of his innocence, though. I'm still just as shocked as I was when I found this article.

Originally Posted by Nem14

Mistake?

No second chances when 200 mph, 3400 lb racing machines are involved.

Other peoples lives are at stake, including pit crews and spectators.

For the millions of $$$$$$$$'s these guys get supported with, and the public visibility that goes with the job, there is no excuse, none, zip, nada, for using recreational drugs when you know that random testing is being used.

I appreciate your feelings on the issue. I really do. First, we don't know what the substance was. It should not necessarily be assumed that the drug was "recreational". For all we know, it could have been a prescription drug that was prohibited. I don't know. No one (in the public) does at this point. But let me ask you this, when truck drivers get DUI's, do they lose their CDL's for life? The answer is, no, they do not. Why not? In their case, they're not out there with other racers who have some idea of the various risks involved in being on a race track (though I admit, getting hit by a drunk or drugged racer is NOT one of those agreed upon risks). They're out there with totally innocent members of the public - babies and small children included.

Even though I do not use drugs myself, I do have a rather libertarian view toward drugs and other issues dealing with personal choice. But don't think that I'm am light on drug use among those who can put the lives of others at risk (even and especially drugs that are prescribed... which are actually the source of abuse that many/most people won't/can't recognize). But I also recognize hypocrisy (not by you, but in general). While we can get up in arms about A.J. Allmendinger losing the privilege of driving a race car in a NASCAR sanctioned series for the rest of his life, funny thing is, once he gets this decision, he can still go out, get in his car and drive on the highway amongst all the soccer moms and prom queens that occupy the public highways. Also, not that long ago, a "nice young man" by the name of J.C. France had a night of fun and revelry doing coke and doing a bit of "Clockwork Orange" street racing with his Lambo near Daytona, FL. He got caught by a cop. He got arrested. They found the coke. I'll let J.C. tell you the rest of the story. You can find him (still) at any NASCAR sanctioned Grand Am race. So would it be OK if A.J. raced in Grand Am if his Sprint Cup gig dries up, or would he have to change his name to France? Well, if that doesn't work out, I guess he could always get a CDL and drive a big rig on U.S. highways at some point.

We now know it was s 'stimulant' that registered just over the allowable threshold.

We await the results of the 'B' sample test.

IIRC in Indy car, driving under the influence (a drug policy) has been an issue longer than it has been in NASCAR. NASCAR had it's regular drug users too in the 80's.

Pretty much the same way NASCAR dragged it's feet about mandating safety features in it's race cars and making safety equipment mandatory for it's drivers.

Originally Posted by Lee Roy

Drug it's feet? As I recall, NASCAR was the first to make the HANS, (or similar safety device) mandatory.

CART = 2000
NASCAR = 2002
Formula 1 = 2003

I think NHRA beat them all to the punch - but not sure.....

I think it is bit unfair to criticize NASCAR for dragging their feet as much as many of us do (they are a big organization who tend to be very deliberate about any changes- - for better or worse) - but it is equally unwise to think they are a leader in any sort of innovation.

Originally Posted by Chris R

CART = 2000
NASCAR = 2002
Formula 1 = 2003

How about the IRL?

Also according to wikipedia, you're a bit off on CART and NASCAR.

Using that information, CART made the device compulsory for oval tracks in 2001, later requiring the HANS devices for all circuits. Starting in October, 2001, NASCAR mandated either the HANS or Hutchens device head and neck restraint be used, going with the HANS device exclusively starting in 2005.

Don't know about the IRL. I saw the Wikipedia article too but it seemed kinda wonky - so I did some more digging - my years were from an article by Dr. Bob Hubbard - one of the developers of HANS...... It is possible that CART started USING them in 2001 after mandating them in the 2000 off-season.... NASCAR was specifically late 2002 so think it was towards the end of the 2002 season they were made mandatory. NASCAR did APPROVE the HANS and Hutchins devices for use soon after Earnhardt's death - I not sure the drivers were allowed to race with them before that...

I re-read the article I was reading:The History Of The HANS Device As Told By Dr. Bob Hubbard » Catchfence - it looks consistent with what you said - first FULL season for NASCAR was 2002 - I thought it was "late" in 2002 but looking again , it doesn't say that specifically - it infers it - obviously the author meant late the previous season(2001)..... he seems to have the same basic issue with CART -but there he states it was approved in 2000 but infers the first full season was 2001....

either way, NASCAR was not the first to mandate it...

My apologies for the mistakes - it is interesting that such a groundbreaking thing is really not covered very well (or apparently, very accurately) by multiple sources (for example, the SI articles gets Hubbard's name wrong, different sources list different dates, the is NO information on the IRL and HANS, multiple places seem to confuse "approving" with "mandating"...)

I know you are a strong supporter of NASCAR and I was in no way trying to "dis" NASCAR - just dig up the facts.....

Nascar approved the HANS and the Hutchinson devices for use by it's drivers in 2001, but didn't mandate their use until 2002.

AutoRacing1.com - NASCAR Good O'l Boys Page

some reading from the era - this is pre-Earnhardt death.....

Steve Olvey's (CART Medical director) book has very good info on the issue of racing safety and is a hell of a read.

Originally Posted by 00steven

Steve Olvey's (CART Medical director) book has very good info on the issue of racing safety and is a hell of a read.

The meat of what he says is great, and I loved the book - but unfortunately, it seemed like his fact checking was a bit weak (I don't remember exact stuff but more than once he got years and things like that mixed up - nothing that took away from his overall message and story and nothing that seemed to be purposefully in error - but stuff that makes it difficult to cite his book as a reference of fact.....)

NASCAR.com - Competitors voice support for NASCAR mandate - October 17, 2001

Here is a NASCAR article with the exact timeline, circumstances of the HANS/Hutchens mandate. it was mandatory from October 17, 2001 on.....

My goodness Lee Roy, Chris posted a link to a series of articles from 2000 that were written in response to the recent deaths of Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, and Tony Roper. While you may not have a high opinion of the website that originally posted the article, it does not mean that everything on there is without merit.

Chris admitted his error of fact from earlier in the thread and is trying to have a conversation, so he posted articles written from the time the debate was going on.?

Would you not think that if someone responded to you in the manner you responded to Chris, that that person was acting like a jerk?

Getting back on topic, someone above said AJ was split from his wife, which may have him a little lost and maybe he did do something he shouldn't have. I am hoping it isn't that, and his wife Lynn is a semi local gal, I am sad to hear about her leaving him.

He will get a second chance if he does his Mea culpa's and is honest about how the drug got there. I get the feeling however he is claiming it is something like an energy/vitamin cocktail that did this, since it was a stimulant. I get the impression this isn't a Jeremy Mayfield thing, and there could actually be a rational explaination.

B-sample tested positive!

AJ Allmendinger indefinitely suspended by NASCAR after B sample test | From the Marbles - Yahoo! Sports

There go's his career...

Penske Racing announced today that AJ Allmendinger has been released as driver of the No. 22 Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Cup Series. Allmendinger was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR last week for a positive drug test

Penske Racing - News

"There go's his career... "

Yes, unless he really did fail by a tiny fraction and it can be shown it was an unintentional consequence from an energy drink or some type of legitimate supplement.

As such, I don't understand why he doesn't just disclose what the "stimulant" was, what the exact amount was that showed up on the test, and his theory about where it came from.